Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1887-02-11
4AGA11BLER'S NERVE.
He Coolly Confssses I Crine After setpriss "a

He Coolly Coafssses I Crins Attsr seeuriss an n;
quittal. .#z$s :S5$s III
From the * Ansas City Times. 55.i B
The career OF Charles Foulk, alias
Charles Watson, the gentleman gam
bier who was shot and killed at Hot
Springs, BY 9 negro policeman, q short
time ago, was an eventful one. He
was tall and handsome, cool as an lei
Gle, dressed in exquisite taste, and his
manner and conversation were every,
inch the elegant, refined gentleman
His friends never wearied of lauding
his bravery, and his enemies did NOT
gainsay them. Some years ago q
soldier was found with a bullet in his
heart on q bridge near Carlisle He
was Of gambling propensities and an
avowed enemy of Foulk. The latter
with another gambler was charged.
with the crime aud placed on trial,
The men were given separate tria!st
and Foulk was tried first and accQuit!!
ted on an undoubted alibi. ::
The evidence in the trial of Foulk's
supposed accomplish was damaging to
the prisoner at the bar One lady who
lived near the scene OF the shooting,
identified the prisoner and swore that
she heard pistol shot,. ran to- the
door and saw him running hatless
from the scene of the murder. She was
certain that it WAS the accused man,
because there was q lighted gas lamp
near her door which enabled her to.
get good view of his features. Other
evidence equally strong WAS Introduce
ed by thestat and a conviction seem:
ed assured. When the defense opened
no one believed that the case made by
the state could be shaken.
AS Foulk took his seat on the wit
ness stand he turned to the stern;gray.
haired judge, and in a clear, calm voice
that could be heard in every part of
the room; said: "Judge, before Ites.
tify in this case l want to ask you a,
question. Can L ever be tried again
for the killing OF that soldier?"
For q moment the silence wasspain-
fut. The venerable Judge seemed. to
have guessed what was coming. He
replied in solemn, severe tones that
were rendered all the more impressive
by the deathly stiffness:
$50 far as human law is concerned.
Mr.. Foulk; you are a. free man. No
earthly tribunal can try you again"
Foulk was the only person in the room
who was not affected. As coolly as If
talking to a.circle' of friends, he repli.
ed:: "ThankS you, Judge; you are a
man oil honor, and know the law. and
L believe you. I! wish to solemnly
swear, them that killed that soldier.
You have acquitted the wrong man..
The effect of this cool, deliber.
ate statement, made in a voice
that never trembled and could be
heard by every; one in: the court
room, may be imagined. At once
the silence was: broken by excla.
nations OF surprise and indignation;
which, however,. were quickly sup
pressed by the judge. Then, as coolly
as he had made the confession, Foulk
told the story of the murder. He
said that as he was crossing the bridge
he met the soldier going in: an oppo-
site directions. They were old enemies
and had recently had a quarrel over
the green cloth. Foulk said that as
soon AS the soldier saw him he drew
his sabre and started for him. "Not
wishing to kill him." Foulk continued,
'I,drew little old-fashioned pepper
box:revolver and shot at him four
times, but as he still kept coming at
me jumped off the bridge, drew my
forty-five and killed him. I did it in
self defense. If I had not killed him
he would have killed me.
The evidence OF the lady who .swore
that she saw the prisoner at the bar
running hatless past her door was east
ly explained, and furnished anoth-
or instance OF Foulk's wonderful
nerve:. When he jumped off the bridge
his hat fell off and foated down the
stream. When the soldier fell Foulk.
ran up the street, but did not see the
lady standing at the door,. When, he
had gone little way he remembered
that his name was written in his hat,
and that if it was found it. would; be
used as evidence against him.. Wait
Ing for moment, and, seeing that no
one had been attracted by the shots,
he>deliberately returned to, the scene
Of the shooting, waded down, the
stream, found his hat, and went up.
town through an alley. THAT was
nerve. The lady was honest in her
testimony. but she was simply mis-
taken, as was afterwards proved con-
otnsively.. Of course, the defendant
WIS discharged. Foulk's story. of the
killing was afterward proved. to. be
exactly correct.
Frederick DOuglass and! TheO-